Device for dispensing plastic fasteners

ABSTRACT

A device for dispensing individual plastic fasteners from a continuous supply of 0.1875 inch pitch ladder stock includes a head assembly that is designed to receive the supply of ladder stock, sever an individual fastener from the supply ladder stock and eject the individual fastener during a single stroke of its actuation cycle. The device also includes a stepper motor for driving the head assembly through its actuation cycle, a DC power switching supply for regulating the power supplied to the stepper motor from an AC input power source, and a controller for collecting historical data relating to usage of the device and for regulating operation of the stepper motor. The device further includes a switch for regulating the operation of the device between a single stroke or continuous stroke actuation cycle. The device additionally includes a switch for regulating the output speed of the stepper motor during its actuation cycle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to plastic fasteners and more particularly to devices used in the dispensing of plastic fasteners.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,039,078 to A. R. Bone, which is incorporated herein by reference, there are disclosed several different types of plastic fasteners (also commonly referred to in the art as plastic attachments). Each plastic fastener described in the patent is manufactured in an H-shaped configuration, with two shortened parallel cross-bars, or T-bars, being interconnected at their approximate midpoints by a thin, flexible filament which extends orthogonally therebetween. Each type of plastic fastener represented in the patent is shown as being fabricated as part of continuously connected ladder stock. In each instance, the ladder stock is formed from two elongated and continuous plastic side members, or rails, which are coupled together by a plurality of plastic cross links, or filaments, the cross links preferably being equidistantly spaced. The stock may be produced from flexible plastics material including nylon, polypropylene and other similar materials using conventional molding or stamping techniques. Ladder stock of the type described above is presently manufactured and sold by Avery Dennison™ Corporation of Pasadena, Calif. under the Plastic Staple® and Elastic Staple™ lines of plastic fasteners.

Ladder stock of the type described above is commonly wound onto a reel, or spool, which is sized and shaped to hold a supply of ladder stock that includes approximately 25,000 fasteners. In this manner, the reel can be used by a machine to continuously dispense a large quantity of individual fasteners, as will be described in detail below.

Either manually or with the aid of specifically designed devices, individual fasteners may be severed and dispensed from a supply of ladder stock to couple buttons to fabric, merchandising tags to articles of commerce, or, in general, any two desired articles.

Specifically designed devices for dispensing plastic fasteners are well known in the art. One well-known device for dispensing individual plastic fasteners from a reel of ladder-type fastener stock includes a pair of hollow needles which are adapted to penetrate through a particular item, a feed mechanism for advancing each rail of the supply of ladder stock into axial alignment behind the longitudinal bore defined by a corresponding hollow needle, a severing mechanism for severing a fastener to be dispensed through the pair of hollowed needles from the remainder of the ladder stock, and an ejection mechanism for ejecting the cross-bars of the severed fastener through the bores of the pair of hollowed needles and, in turn, through the particular item which is penetrated by the needles.

For example, in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,366, which is incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a device for dispensing plastic attachments of the type which are formed as part of a roll of continuously connected ladder stock. In one embodiment, the device includes a pair of hollow slotted needles each having a tip, a rear end and a longitudinal axis. A feed wheel, placed proximate to the rear ends of the pair of needles, is used to feed individual attachments of a roll of ladder stock into the pair of needles through their respective rear ends at angles relative to the longitudinal axes thereof. Once inserted into the needles, an attachment is severed from the remainder of the ladder stock by a knife and is then expelled from the needles by a pair of ejector rods movable along the longitudinal axes of the pair of needles. Because attachments are fed into the pair of needles at angles relative to their longitudinal axes, no shuttling of the needles between an attachment feeding position and an attachment ejecting position is required. The pair of needles, the feed wheel, the knife, and the pair of ejector rods are all mounted on a vertically movable head member. An induction motor is used to move the head member between an attachment dispensing position and a withdrawal position. The vertical movement of the head member drives the operation of the feed wheel, the knife and the ejector rods.

Examples of some plastic fastener dispensing devices which are presently available in commerce are manufactured and sold by Avery Dennison™ Corporation of Pasadena, Calif. under the following names: the ST9000™, the Elastic Staple™ Single Needle System (SNS), the Elastic Staple™ Variable Needle System (VNS) and the Elastic Staple™ Single Needle System (SNS) Module.

As noted above, devices for dispensing plastic fasteners of the type described above are designed to cut the opposing rails of a supply of ladder stock at equidistant intervals to generate a plurality of individual plastic fasteners. The specific fixed distance, or spacing, between successive cuts in the rails of the ladder stock (i.e., the length of the cross-bar of each dispensed plastic fastener) is commonly referred to in the art as the pitch in which the device operates. As can be appreciated, each fastener dispensing device is typically designed to sever and eject plastic fasteners from a supply of ladder stock at a fixed pitch of 0.25 inches.

Although well known in the art, it has been found that fastener dispensing devices of the type described above suffer from some notable shortcomings.

As a first shortcoming, fastener dispensing devices of the type described above traditionally operate as a single stroke machine. Stated another way, activation of the device (e.g., through the depression of an actuation pedal) results in the ejection of a single plastic fastener. However, it has been found that certain applications require that a plurality of fasteners be dispensed in a rapid fire manner (e.g., whiskering applications in the jeans industry). Due to the inherent limitations associated with a single stroke machine, the plurality of fasteners can only be dispensed by repeatedly actuating the machine, which is a time-consuming and labor intensive process.

As a second shortcoming, fastener dispensing machines of the type described above operate at a fixed stroke speed of approximately 0.50 seconds/stroke. However, this stroke speed has been found to be unnecessarily slow when the device is used to dispense plastic fasteners through relatively thin materials. As a result, the productivity that is achieved using such a machine is limited.

As a third shortcoming, fastener dispensing machines of the type described above are not energy efficient. Specifically, the induction motor for the device requires a continuous supply of AC power which in turn renders the machine inefficient from a power consumption standpoint.

As a fourth shortcoming, fastener dispensing machines of the type described above are designed to receive a specified input voltage. Because electrical outlets in different countries provide different output voltages, each fastener dispensing machine is only available for use in selected locations, thereby limiting its usage.

As a fifth shortcoming, fastener dispensing machines of the type described above are stand alone devices (i.e., not linked with a computer). As a result, no computerized means are afforded to track and analyze historical information relating to usage of the device (e.g., actuation rate per hour, etc.).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved device for dispensing a plastic fastener from a supply of fastener stock, the fastener stock being shaped to include an elongated and continuous side rail to which are coupled a plurality of equidistantly spaced filaments.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device as described above which is adapted to dispense a plurality of plastic fasteners from the supply of fastener stock using a single actuation step.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a device as described above wherein the rate in which each fastener is dispensed can be varied according to the particular application.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device as described above which is energy efficient yet designed to maximize productivity.

It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a device as described above which allows for the monitoring of historical information relating to its usage.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device as described above which can receive power from different voltage power sources.

It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a system as described above which has a limited number of parts, which is easy to use and which is inexpensive to manufacture.

Accordingly, there is provided a device for dispensing an individual plastic fastener from a supply of fastener stock, the fastener stock being shaped to include a pair of continuous side rails to which are coupled a plurality of equidistantly spaced cross links, the individual fastener comprising a pair of shortened cross-bars that are interconnected by a flexible filament, the device comprising (a) a head assembly adapted to receive the supply of fastener stock, sever an individual fastener from the supply fastener stock and eject the individual fastener during a single stroke of its actuation cycle, (b) a stepper motor for driving the head assembly through its actuation cycle, and (c) a controller for regulating the operation of the stepper motor.

Various other features and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration, a specific embodiment for practicing the invention. This embodiment will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings wherein like reference numerals represent like parts:

FIG. 1 is a right side perspective view, broken away in part, of a novel fastener dispensing device which has been constructed according to the teachings of the present invention, the fastener dispensing device being shown with a reel of continuously connected ladder stock mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, front perspective view of the supply of continuously connected ladder stock shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a right side perspective view, broken away in part, of the fastener dispensing device shown in FIG. 1, the fastener dispensing device being shown with selected components removed therefrom for purposes of simplicity and clarity;

FIG. 4 is a left side perspective view of the fastener dispensing device shown in FIG. 1, the fastener dispensing device being shown with selected components removed therefrom for purposes of simplicity and clarity;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the head assembly for the fastener dispensing device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a left side perspective view of the head assembly for the fastener dispensing device shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a front, exploded perspective view of the head assembly for the fastener dispensing device shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a device for dispensing individual plastic fasteners from a supply of continuously connected ladder stock, said device being constructed according to the teachings of the present invention and identified generally by reference numeral 10. As can be appreciated, device 10 can be used in an automated packaging line, for example, to secure together two or more products, such as socks, gloves, towels or other similar items, using one or more plastic fasteners from ladder stock. For simplicity and clarity, parts not directly pertaining to the invention are only diagrammatically shown in the drawings and are not described in detail below.

Continuous Supply of Ladder Stock 11

As noted above, device 10 is designed to dispense individual plastic fasteners from various types of continuously connected ladder stock. For example, the supply of ladder stock (also referred to herein as fastener stock) may be of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,039,078 to A. R. Bone or of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,816 to C. L. Deschenes et al., both of said patents being incorporated herein by reference.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a supply of ladder stock which may used in connection with device 10, the ladder stock being identified generally by reference numeral 11. Ladder stock 11 is preferably made of plastic and comprises a pair of elongated and continuous side members, or rails, 13 and 15 which are interconnected by a plurality of equidistantly spaced cross links 17.

An individual plastic fastener 18 is obtained from ladder stock 11 by severing side members 13 and 15 at the approximate midpoint between successive cross links 17. Fastener 18 comprises a pair of cross-bars 19 and 21 which are interconnected by a thin, flexible filament 23, cross-bars 19 and 21 comprising sections of side members 13 and 15, respectively, and filament 23 comprising a cross link 17.

It should be noted that the pitch for ladder stock 11 is commonly defined as the distance between successive cuts in each of side members 13 and 15 which is required to create plastic fastener 18 (i.e., the length of each of cross-bars 19 and 21). In the same manner, it is to be understood the pitch for ladder stock 11 can be determined by measuring the distance between successive cross links 17.

It should be noted that, by severing side members 13 and 15 at the approximate midpoint between successive cross links 17, fastener 18 is provided with an H-shaped configuration, wherein opposing ends of filament 23 bisect corresponding cross-bars 19 and 21. As can be appreciated, it is typically preferred that fastener 18 have an H-type configuration when used in its conventional application of coupling together two or more items.

Overview of the Construction of Fastener Dispensing Device 10

As seen most clearly in FIG. 1, device 10 comprises an exterior frame 31 that is similar in construction with the frame of the fastener dispensing device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,366 to C. L. Deschenes et al. Specifically, frame 31 includes a substantially rectangular base 33 which serves as the support, or foundation, for device 10. Base 33 may be provided with means for securing device 10 to a workstation or other similar platform, such as circular bores 34 formed at particular locations along its periphery.

A block-shaped neck 35 is integrally formed onto the top surface of base 33. An elongated support arm 37 extends out in the forward direction from neck 35, support arm 37 extending in a spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship relative to base 33. A reactor plate 39 is mounted on the free end of support arm 37 and functions, among other things, to support the articles to be coupled during the fastener dispensing process.

Housing 41 extends upwardly from the free end of neck 35 in a spaced apart manner from support arm 37. Housing 41 is preferably constructed of a rigid, durable and impact-resistant material, such as plastic, and serves to protect the majority of the electrical and mechanical components for device 10. As can be seen, housing 41 is preferably provided with means for supporting a reel 42 of ladder stock 11 so as to afford device 10 with the capability to continuously dispense plastic fasteners 18 in an automated manner.

As seen most clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4, device 10 includes a head assembly 43 mounted within housing 41 that is responsible for, among other things, feeding the supply of ladder stock 11 into device 10, severing an individual fastener 18 from ladder stock 11 and, in turn, ejecting the severed fastener 18 through the desired articles. It should be noted that head assembly 43 functions in a similar manner as the head assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,366 to C. L. Deschenes et al, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Specifically, head assembly 43 comprises a vertically extending mount 45 that is fixedly retained in place within housing 41, mount 45 being generally U-shaped in lateral cross-section. A motor-driven, vertically displaceable head 47 is slidably coupled to mount 45, the function of head 47 to become apparent below.

As seen most clearly in FIGS. 5-7, head assembly 43 additionally includes a pair of hollowed needles 49-1 and 49-2 which are adapted to penetrate through the articles to be coupled together by plastic fastener 18, a feed mechanism 31 for advancing the side members 13 and 15 of ladder stock 11 into axial alignment behind the longitudinal bores defined by needles 29, a severing mechanism (not shown) for cutting side members 13 and 15 of ladder stock 11 at the approximate midpoint between successive cross links 17 to separate an individual plastic fastener 18 from the remainder of ladder stock 11, and an ejection mechanism 33 for ejecting cross-bars 19 and 21 of severed plastic fastener 18 through needles 49-1 and 49-2 and in turn through the items to be coupled together by fastener 18.

Each needle 49 is conventional in its construction and includes an elongated longitudinal bore 50. Needles 49 are coupled to motor-driven head 47. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the downward displacement of head 47 in turn causes needles 49 to similarly travel downward so as to penetrate through any articles supported on reactor plate 39.

It should be noted that needles 49-1 and 49-2 are removably mounted onto corresponding needle holders 55-1 and 55-2, respectively. As seen most clearly in FIG. 7, needle holder 55-1 is held fixed in place whereas needle holder 55-2 is slidably mounted along a laterally disposed axle 57 which is capable of rotation about its longitudinal axis. Accordingly, the ability to slide needle holder 55-2 laterally relative to needle holder 55-1 allows for the spacing between needles 49 to be adjusted to accommodate ladder stocks of varying lengths (e.g., between 0.25 inches and 0.38 inches), which is highly desirable. As seen most clearly in FIG. 5, once the desired spacing between needles 25 has been set, a screw 58 (or other similar device) is used to hold needle holder 55-2 fixed in place along axle 57.

As briefly noted above, feed mechanism 51 is responsible for continuously advancing the free end of ladder stock 11 into alignment behind needles 49 for subsequent ejection therethrough. As seen most clearly in FIG. 7, feed mechanism 31 includes a pair of spaced apart feed wheels 59-1 and 59-2 that are fixedly mounted onto axle 57. In operation, feed wheels 59 are adapted to engage the cross links 17 of ladder stock 11. As a result, the rotation of feed wheels 39 serves to advance (i.e., feed) the supply of ladder stock 11 into device 10. Preferably, a feed knob 61 is coupled to one end of axle 57 by a spring 62. As can be appreciated, feed knob 61 allows for three principal manual feed operations: (1) the rotation of feed knob 61 in the clockwise direction in order to advance ladder stock 11 into its stop (i.e., loading) position within device 10 prior to the severing and ejection processes; (2) the inward displacement of feed knob 61 coupled, at the same time, with the rotation of feed knob 61 in the counterclockwise direction in order to back out, or withdraw, a supply of ladder stock 11 from device 10; and (3) the inward displacement of feed knob 61 coupled, at the same time, with the small, incremental rotation of feed knob 61 in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction in order to fine tune feed mechanism 51 (i.e., to fine tune the stop position in which feed mechanism 31 loads the next successive fastener 18 in ladder stock 11 prior to the severing and ejection processes).

A feed ratchet 63 is fixedly mounted on axle 57 and is coupled indirectly to feed wheels 59. In operation, the completion of a single stroke cycle for head assembly 23 causes a feed pawl 64 to rotate feed ratchet 63 in the clockwise direction. The rotation of feed ratchet 63 serves to similarly rotate feed wheels 59 in the clockwise direction which, in turn, advances ladder stock 11 in the forward direction into device 10. In the same manner, it is to be understood that rotation of feed ratchet 63 in the counterclockwise direction would serve to rotate feed wheels 59 in the opposite direction (i.e., such that ladder stock 11 is withdrawn, or backed out, from device 10). However, it has been found that, during the automated feeding process for device 10, any slight rearward withdrawal of ladder stock 11 can cause ladder stock 11 to become jammed within device 10, which is highly undesirable. Accordingly, feed mechanism 51 is provided with a one-way mechanical clutch 65 that is responsible for, among other things, precluding feed ratchet 63 from inadvertently rotating in the counterclockwise direction in such a manner so as to cause ladder stock 11 to jam within device 10.

As noted briefly above, a severing mechanism (not shown) is responsible for severing the lowermost fastener 18 from the loaded fastener stock 11 after the fastener stock has been advanced to its stop position by feed mechanism 51. As can be appreciated, the severing mechanism comprises a pair of sharpened knife blades (not shown) that are coupled to a corresponding pair of pivoting knife levers (not shown). It should be noted that the knife blades are disposed so as to align directly between the two lowermost cross links 17 in ladder stock 11 when ladder stock 11 is advanced to its stop position. In this manner, displacement of the knife blades serves to sever side members 13 and 15 at a location which ensures that the fastener 18 severed from ladder stock 11 has the desired H-shaped configuration.

As noted briefly above, ejection mechanism 53 is responsible for dispensing the cross-bars 19 and 21 of a severed fastener 18 out through needles 49 and, in turn, through the desired items to be coupled together. As seen most clearly in FIG. 7, ejection mechanism 53 includes a motor-driven slide plate 67, which is adapted to slide vertically relative to head 47, and first and second ejector rods 69-1 and 69-2 that are fixedly coupled to slide plate 67. As can be appreciated, ejector rods 69-1 and 69-2 extend down from slide plate 67 in alignment with longitudinal bores 50-1 and 50-2, respectively.

Novel Design Features for Fastener Dispensing Device 10

As will be described in detail below, the principal novel features of device 10 relate to (i) the motor-driven means by which head assembly 43 is powered and (ii) a plurality of electronic components connected to the motor-driven means which provide device 10 with a number of notable performance advantages.

Specifically, device 10 comprises a stepper motor 71 for powering the stroke cycle for head assembly 43, a controller 73 for regulating operation of stepper motor 71, a cycle regulation switch 75 for regulating whether device 10 operates using either a single-stroke or continuous-stroke actuation cycle, a stroke speed switch (not shown) for regulating the stroke speed of device 10, a DC power switching supply 77 for regulating the supply of power applied to stepper motor 71 and a serial connector data port 79 for transferring data collected by controller 73 to a linked computer.

As seen most clearly in FIG. 3, stepper motor 71 (also referred to herein as step motor 71 or stepping motor 71) is located inside housing 41 within a protective cover and is used to power device 10 through the fastener dispensing process. Stepper motor 71 is defined herein as being a clutch-free, direct current (DC) motor that translates electrical pulses into precise, discrete steps. For example, step motor 71 may regulate output movement to as low as 1/200 of a revolution. In this manner, it is to be understood that step motor 71 is capable of producing a relatively high degree of control in response to a particular input signal.

Controller 73 is located within the interior cavity defined by housing 41 and is electrically connected to stepper motor 71. Controller 73 includes a main printed circuit board and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip. As will be described in detail below, controller 73 regulates many of the primary operations of device 10.

Cycle regulation switch 75 is fixedly mounted in housing 41 in an externally accessible manner, as seen most clearly in FIG. 4. Cycle regulation switch 75 is electrically connected to controller 73 which in turn regulates how power is applied to step motor 71. In this manner, it is to be understood that switch 75 can be used to regulate whether device 10 utilizes a single stroke or continuous stroke actuation cycle.

Specifically, with switch 75 disposed in its single stroke actuation cycle setting, activation of device 10 (e.g., by stepping on an actuation pedal) supplies step motor 71 with enough power to head assembly 43 to dispense a single fastener (i.e., by completing a single stroke). In order to dispense a second fastener, the user is required to then activate device 10 a second time (e.g., by releasing the actuation pedal and stepping on the pedal a second time). The activation process is then repeated as deemed necessary to dispense the requisite number of fasteners. As can be appreciated, traditional fastener dispensing devices only operate using a single stroke actuation cycle.

However, as can be appreciated, certain applications require the dispensing of a large quantity of fasteners in rapid succession. Accordingly, by moving cycle regulation switch 75 to its continuous stroke actuation cycle (also referred to herein interchangeably as its multiple stroke actuation cycle) actuation cycle, power is then supplied to step motor 71 in such a manner so that a continuous supply of fasteners is dispensed through a single actuation process (e.g., by maintaining the actuation pedal in a depressed condition), which is highly desirable.

As noted above, one or more stroke speed switches (not shown) are preferably provided in device 10 in an externally accessible manner, each switch being electrically connected to controller 73. In this manner, the stroke speed switches can be used to manually adjust the stroke speed for device 10 during its operation to render device 10 more suitably designed for particular applications. It is to be understood that the stroke speed in which device 10 operates can be adjusted by changing the speed of one or more portions of the operation cycle. Specifically, the stroke speed can be modified by adjusting one or more of the following: (i) the rate of the downward travel for head 47 (i.e., the speed in which needles 49 are penetrated through the intended articles), (ii) the rate of the fastener ejection process (i.e., the speed in which a fastener 18 is passed through the intended articles), and/or (iii) the rate of the upward travel for head 47 (i.e., the speed in which needles 49 retract from the intended articles).

It should also be noted that head assembly 43 is specifically calibrated to dispense individual fasteners 18 from ladder stock 11 which has a pitch of 0.1875 inches. To the contrary, traditional fastener dispensing machines are calibrated to dispense individual fasteners from ladder stock which has a pitch of 0.25 inches. As can be appreciated, significant benefits are derived from calibrating device 10 to dispense plastic fasteners from ladder stock having a 0.1875 inch pitch and, as such, will be described in detail below.

Performance Advantages Achieved by Fastening Dispensing Device 10

The novel design features for device 10 that are set forth in detail above introduce a number of significant benefits, or advantages, which are listed below.

(1) Calibration of Device 10 for 0.1875 Inch Ladder Stock—As noted above, device 10 is specifically calibrated to dispense individual fasteners 18 from ladder stock 11 which has a pitch of 0.1875 inches, wherein the pitch of ladder stock 11 is defined as the distance, or spacing, between successive filaments 17. It has been found that the use of 3/16 inch pitch fastener stock 11 with fastener dispensing device 10 introduces a couple notable advantages over the use of fastener stock having a greater pitch (e.g., ¼ inch).

As a first advantage, the reduced pitch allows for a greater number of fasteners 18 to be wound onto each fastener spool 42. Specifically, ladder stock with a ¼ inch pitch can retain approximately 25,000 fasteners per reel whereas ladder stock with 3/16 inch pitch can retain approximately 40,000 fasteners per reel. The substantial increase in the number of fasteners per reel afforded by reducing the fastener pitch minimizes the frequency of spool replacements. Because fastener spool reloading is a relatively time-consuming process, any reduction in the number of fastener spool replacements increases productivity, which is highly desirable.

As a second advantage, the reduced pitch reduces the amount of plastic required to manufacture fastener stock 11, thereby reducing waste, which is highly desirable.

(2) Stroke Cycle Adjustability—As noted above, cycle regulation switch 75 enables device 10 to function utilizing either (i) a single stroke actuation cycle or (ii) a continuous stroke actuation cycle. As can be appreciated, it has been found that a single stroke actuation cycle would be preferred in certain applications where dispensing a single fastener 18 is required (e.g., in an article pairing application) and a continuous stroke actuation cycle would be preferred in certain other applications where dispensing a plurality of fasteners 18 in rapid succession is required (e.g., whiskering applications in the jeans industry). In this manner, it is to be understood that device 10 can be adjusted to suit the particular needs of the consumer, which is highly desirable.

(3) Stroke Speed Regulation—Fastener dispensing machines which are well-known in the art typically operate at a fixed stroke speed (approximately 0.50 seconds/stroke). However, it has been found that the stroke speed of traditional machines is often inadequate in particular applications.

Accordingly, providing one or more stroke speed switches in electrical connection with controller 73 enables the speed of stepper motor 71 to be adjusted which in turn enables the speed of the stroke for head assembly 43 to be correspondingly adjusted. In particular, device 10 is designed to allow the speed of the stroke for head assembly 43 to be regulated between 0.25 seconds/stroke and 0.50 seconds/stroke. In this manner, the stroke speed can be adjusted based on the intended application.

For example, a slow stroke rate (e.g., 0.50 seconds/strokes) is preferred when device 10 is used to dispense plastic fasteners 18 through a thick material (i.e., a heavy-duty application) in order to prevent each fastener 18 from breaking.

As another example, a fast stroke rate (e.g., 0.25 seconds/stroke) is preferred when device 10 is used to dispense plastic fasteners 18 through a thin material in order to increase productivity (i.e., the number of fasteners dispensed per hour).

(4) Increased Power Efficiency—Traditional fastener dispensing machines utilize an induction motor which requires a continuous supply of AC power. In use, actuation of the device electrically activates a switching device (e.g., a solenoid) which, in turn, mechanically disengages a motor clutch. With the clutch disengaged, the induction motor cycles which in turn causes the device to dispense a fastener. As can be appreciated, it has been found that the continuous application of AC power to the induction motor renders this type of fastener dispensing machine highly inefficient from a power consumption standpoint, which is highly undesirable.

Accordingly, it should be noted that device 10 utilizes a stepper motor which, by definition, does not require a continuous supply of power. Rather, in use, power is only supplied to stepper motor 71 when device 10 is actuated. Upon actuation (e.g., by depressing the actuation pedal), controller 73 ensures that the necessary supply of power is applied to stepper motor 71 to complete the designated actuation cycle for head assembly 43 (i.e., such that device 10 fires one or more fasteners 18). Otherwise, when idle, the only power consumed by device 10 is by its cooling fans (not shown). As a result, device 10 is considerably more energy efficient than traditional fastener dispensing machines, which is highly desirable.

(5) Variable Input Power Capability—Traditional fastener dispensing machines utilize an induction motor that is designed to be powered by an electrical outlet of a particular voltage (e.g., 110 volts, 220 volts, etc.). As a result, traditional machines are only designed for use in particular countries, thereby limiting potential usage, which is highly undesirable.

To the contrary, it should be noted that switching power supply 77 provides device 10 with the capability to be powered by wide range of different voltage outlets (notably, in the range between 90 volts and 250 volts). Specifically, switching power supply 77 is designed to convert the input AC voltage supplied to device 10 from any electrical outlet to the requisite DC voltage level required by stepper motor 71. As a result, device 10 can be used in a broader range of markets, which is highly desirable.

(6) System Monitoring Capabilities—Traditional fastener dispensing machines operate as stand-alone units. To the contrary, device 10 is provided with serial connector 79 which can be used to transmit data collected by controller 73 (e.g., historical fastener dispensing information) to an electrically linked compute device. As a result, the compute device can be used to track, monitor and/or analyze pertinent historical data relating to device 10 (e.g., the number of fasteners dispensed during a particular time period). This information can be used, among other things, to improve the productivity and/or efficiency of device 10, which is highly desirable.

The embodiment shown in the present invention is intended to be merely exemplary and those skilled in the art shall be able to make numerous variations and modifications to it without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. 

1. A device for dispensing an individual plastic fastener from a supply of fastener stock, the fastener stock being shaped to include a pair of continuous side rails to which are coupled a plurality of equidistantly spaced cross links, the individual fastener comprising a pair of shortened cross-bars that are interconnected by a flexible filament, the device comprising: (a) a head assembly adapted to receive the supply of fastener stock, sever an individual fastener from the supply fastener stock and eject the individual fastener during a single stroke of its actuation cycle, (b) a stepper motor for driving the head assembly through its actuation cycle, and (c) a controller for regulating the operation of the stepper motor.
 2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the controller regulates the application of power to the stepper motor.
 3. The device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the controller collects historical data relating to usage of the device.
 4. The device as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a serial connector data port in electrical connection with the controller.
 5. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the head assembly is calibrated to dispense individual plastic fasteners from a supply of ladder stock that has a pitch of 0.1875 inches.
 6. The device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a cycle regulation switch for regulating the actuation cycle for the head assembly, the cycle regulation switch being in electrical connection with the stepper motor.
 7. The device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the cycle regulation switch enables the head assembly to dispense plastic fasteners from fastener stock using either a single stroke or continuous stroke actuation cycle.
 8. The device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a stroke speed switch for regulating the output speed of the stepper motor during its actuation cycle, the stroke speed switch being in electrical connection with the stepper motor.
 9. The device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the stroke speed switch enables each stroke of the head assembly during its actuation cycle to be adjusted between 0.25 seconds per stroke and 0.50 seconds per stroke.
 10. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the device is adapted to receive alternating current (AC) power from an input power source.
 11. The device as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a DC power switching supply for regulating the power supplied to the stepper motor from the input power source, the DC power switching supply being electrically connected to the controller.
 12. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the DC power switch supply converts the AC power received from the input power source to a designated direct current (DC) power level.
 13. The device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the DC power switch supply is adapted to receive AC power from the input power source that falls within the range of approximately 90 volts and 250 volts.
 14. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the head assembly comprises, (a) a head slidably coupled to a fixed mount, (b) a pair of hollowed needles fixedly coupled to the head, each of the pair of hollowed needles being shaped to define a longitudinal bore, (c) a feed mechanism for advancing each side rail of the supply of fastener stock into direct axial alignment behind the longitudinal bore of a corresponding hollowed needle, (d) a severing mechanism for separating an individual fastener from the supply of ladder stock, and (e) an ejection mechanism for ejecting each cross-bar of the individual fastener axially through the longitudinal bore of a corresponding hollowed needle.
 15. The device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the head is adapted for vertical displacement relative to the fixed mount.
 16. The device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the head is vertically driven by the stepper motor.
 17. The device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the ejection mechanism is driven by the stepper motor.
 18. The device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the spacing between the pair of hollowed needles can be adjusted between a range of 0.1875 and 0.25 inches. 